The Uncertain Future
by demonsshade
Summary: What if Lysandre succeeded? If Serena and Calem fail, how far will humanity fall?
1. The End

Chapter 1 - The End

"Just down here, then." Serena leans against the elevator wall, a steady well of fear rising in her chest. Calem places a hand on her shoulder, smiling kindly. The elevator runs quickly, but it looked to be a long trip down. How deep was this hidden bunker?

"Don't worry, neighbor." Calem says, as if saying that would stop her from freaking out. "Geosenge Town will be fine. We'll stop Lysandre, and everything will be okay. Nobody will die."

"If we lose, though…" Serena struggles to keep her composure. She can't be weak. If she showed weakness, how would that help Calem? Serena was much stronger than he was, so if she gave up now…

"We'll find a way." Calem says, confident. Or, at least as confident as he could act.

"I hope so."

They were silent for a long while after that.

"Serena, listen," She turns to Calem, who suddenly seems incredibly nervous. "There's something I've wanted to tell you for the longest time. I-"

The elevator halts and the doors open. Serena smiles at him.

"Best tell me later."

They step out into a dark lab. To each side, a few high ranking Team Flare members watched them carefully, ready to fight if needed. Up ahead stood Lysandre, head held high and hands behind his back.

"Lysandre!" Serena shouts, "This is insane! Stop this now!"

He merely stares back as the two trainers approach. They stop a twenty feet or so away from him, both of them waiting, ill at ease.

"This country cannot be saved." Lysandre starts, "Our politics are a sham. We oppress others through military might. Our cultural imperialism spreads without end. The only way to save us is to bathe us in fire."

"Why kill everybody?" Serena fidgets with the end of her loose shirt. "The National Guard is on their way, and when they break down the doors to this facility…"

"They won't arrive in time." Lysandre sighs. "The only soldiers this country will have once I am done with it will be dead ones."

"Violence isn't an answer!"

"Says the ones with national guns at their backs!" Lysandre shouts, enraged as quickly as lightning strikes. "Your government dogs will invade this place, guns firing, and will murder all of my men to stop me from completing my plans! Yet you say violence isn't an answer!"

"Please, just step down." Serena pleads. "It doesn't have to be this way. Sure, there's evil in this country. There's a hell of a lot of it. We're lab rats living in a consumer world where only the rich are treated as humans."

"You understand our struggle-"

"But I cannot agree with this!" Serena continues, "Most people are good! They don't deserve to die! We're just trying to make this world a better place. And it's a slow process. Sure, there's setbacks. There's always problems, but that's no excuse to just end it all!"

"I have seen nothing but pain in this country." Lysandre shakes his head. "The only way to ensure that good is protected is to purge this land with fire. But enough.

"I cry only for the Pokemon, as they are the only true innocents." Lysandre's head is down, clenching his fists. Serena stares at him, backing away as she scans her surroundings. To her side she sees Calem doing the same, his expression nervous and unsure. "They have become mere tools, furthering the corruption of man. It is unforgiveable. Murderers, rapists, thieves. All manner of scum will use pokemon to further their evil ends."

"You speak of murderers, but you want to wipe Kalos clean of life?" Serena shouts, "You're just a hypocrite, Lysandre! Nothing but a murderer!"

"I have committed far more than mere murder, Serena!" Lysandre's eyes widen, his expression darkening. "I bear the sins of mankind, and once the end has passed, there will be no place left in Kalos for my evil."

He goes silent, drawing a pokeball. He presses the button softly, and his Mienshao appears. Calem, always a quick draw, lets his Sylveon out and steps back to survey an oncoming battle. But something feels wrong. A pokemon battle isn't enough, Serena knew. Not when the country was at stake.

"Mienshao, the girl." Lysandre says, and Serena feels her chest tighten. She steps back, fumbling for a pokeball.

"Serena!" She hears Calem shout, but the Mienshao is already at her. Just as she lets fly her pokeball, its paw strikes her stomach. A resounding thud as she hops back just a step, then the Mienshao spins, its right leg catching her side. Serena hears bone crack as she is launched backwards. A few feet away she hits the laboratory wall, the back of her head impacting heavily against steel. Her vision flashes, then blurs. Then comes the ringing in her ears. To the side she barely registers her Lucario, just released, jumping at the Mienshao.

Behind the scuffling pokemon, Lysandre raises his arm, a gun in hand.

"Calem!" Serena shouts, and Sylveon jumps for its trainer.

A loud bang and the firearm smokes. Sylveon falls to the side. Serena struggles to stand, her legs wobbling and uncertain beneath her. Lurching forward, she tries to step but instead falls against a desk, gripping what she can to keep herself up.

"I grow weary of play." Lysandre says, then fires his handgun three more times.

The first bullet strikes Calem's right shoulder, nearly spinning him about. The second Serena sees enter his stomach. The final one, directly into his forehead.

"No!" Serena shouts, helpless. Lysandre turns to her, his handgun raised. To her side, she sees Lucario rushing for her, but Lysandre's Mienshao jumps after him, pinning the pokemon to the ground.

"A perfect world awaits." Lysandre says simply, and pulls the trigger.

* * *

Author's Note: _This was just an idea that was floating around in my head after playing the latest pokemon games. I'm not sure how much I'll continue it. Let me know what you think. I'm interested in reader opinions, of course._


	2. Awakening

Chapter 2 – Awakening

Serena is forced into a spin as the bullet hit her arm, toppling her over. She falls towards the ground, but seems to miss. A deafening roar and she feels herself flung sideways, as a blast of fire erupted from the entrance-way. Dark shapes march in with guns and armored pokemon.

"Halt, Lysandre!" A booming voice calls. Serena pulls herself forward with a desk leg, peering from underneath to see better. To the side she sees Calem's body, lifeless and staring up at the ceiling. She looks at it for a long while, uncomprehending, before gazing back at the soldiers.

"Soldiers!" Lysandre laughs, sweeping his arms wide. "How expected. Unfortunately, there's nothing that can be done now. Yveltal's already being processed. The End has come." To his side, Mienshao steps up to Lysandre, prepared to fight.

"Call it off, Lysandre, or we'll fire." The commander's voice seems to crack just a little. He's scared. Serena could feel it too. It had been a long while since she hadn't felt scared. Not since Tierno and Trevor disappeared. Not long after that, Shauna had given up. It was too much for her, but Calem and Serena pressed on. Now Calem was dead.

"As always! The government responds with force when the people rise up!" Lysandre shouts, enraged. "There is no freedom here! There is no democracy! Juridical violence is the only answer your kind know!"

"Lysandre!" Walking up between the soldiers, Serena sees Professor Sycamore, a terrified look on his face. "Please!"

"Men!" The commander points, "Aim!"

"No!" Sycamore shouts, "Lysandre, you have to see reason!"

"There is no saving Kalos."

Guns fire, and Serena curls herself up, holding her head in her hands. Around her the room begins to shimmer. Through the light, she just barely sees Lysandre's shadow as he falls.

"The machines!" Someone yells. "Shut them off!"

"We're too late!"

Serena clutches her head, screaming as the walls begin the collapse. The light shines through everything. She sees nothing. Feels the blood soak through her shirt. Calem is gone. The soldiers are gone. Lysandre is no more.

Everything fades away.

o

"Healthy but for the gunshot wound. No other symptoms. Treatment for radiation exposure is likely unnecessary. She's lucky." Serena's eyes flicker open and she bolts upright, gripping the railing on her bed.

"Calem!" She yells, wide-eyed. Two people in white nearby – doctors – turn to her in surprise. She stares back, confused, before she realizes she's in a medical tent somewhere outside.

"You're awake." One says it like it was unexpected. Serena tries to lift her right arm.

"Shit!" Pain explodes from the bandaged area on her shoulder, and she gasps as she suddenly breaks into a sweat. "My arm…"

"You're hurt. Please, lay down." One of the doctors, a young woman with deep brown hair, gently presses her healthy shoulder to lower her back onto the bed.

"It's a miracle you're alive, really." The male doctor states. According to his name-tag, he was one Dr. Julius. "Did you just happen to wander into the bunker by mistake?"

Panicking, Serena reaches for her pokeballs, only to realize they – and her clothes – were missing. The medical gown she'd been put into left her feeling cold and vulnerable. "Lucario, is he-"

"As far as I know, your pokemon have been confiscated." The female doctor, Dr. Hanover, shakes her head. "It was a rushed decision. The area immediately surrounding us is devoid of animal life, it seems, and we've lost contact with command. Our officers don't know what to do, honestly."

"Why were you in the bunker, girl? You're not one of the Team Flare, despite what our superiors think." Dr. Julius asks, concerned.

"We… we were trying to stop Lysandre. Calem and I… we-" Serena felt her throat tighten. Before her eyes, she saw Calem's body again on the ground of Lysandre's bunker. Why did he die, only for her to survive?

"We should let her be." Hanover says gently, and Julius nods. They leave her just as her eyes begin to well up with tears.

She cried for a very long while after that.

o

Seth entered the room just behind Private Asshole – so named due to his particularly unlikable stick-up-ass demeanor. Against the edge of the tent on the far side, the young girl sat upright, staring straight ahead. Her eyes were red – from crying, he supposed. Seth fiddled with his jacket, feeling uncomfortable. Why was he supposed to help escort the girl to the new command? He wasn't even a soldier. He had just been sent alongside the military to try and shut down the weapon – an effort that ultimately they were too late for.

"Your presence is requested by our commander," Private Asshole said gruffly, "Get up, girl."

"My what?" She stares back, a confused look adorning her face. Seth felt his heart hurt a little from seeing her. The medics hadn't had to the time to properly clean her up before pulling the bullet from her shoulder, it seems. Her face was scuffed and dark with dirt. Worse than that, she looked like she hadn't eaten in weeks from the way her medical gown clung to her frail body. She couldn't have been more than 20, yet her entire body seemed weighed down by some invisible shape.

"Get up, girl!" The soldier snapped, rushing to her. He pulled at her good shoulder, nearly throwing her out of bed. She shrieked, punching at the soldier, who took it without so much as a grunt.

"Jesus, dude, stop!" Seth swore, pulling Private Asshole away and standing between them. "The fuck is your problem?"

The girl – her file said her name was Serena – is standing now, from what Seth saw in the corner of his eye. She was shivering, staring at them both with a fiery hatred and a profound confusion.

"What do you want with me?" She backs away, tears starting to rim her already puffy eyes.

"Command needs to see you, and you-." The Private stares at the Scientist, "Stay the fuck out of this. You're not military."

"I was just trying to help, you piece of shit." Seth growls, "You can't just drag a hurt girl out of bed like that."

"I- I'll go." Serena says, staring at the Private alone now, a fiery intensity apparent. She really didn't like the guy. Looks like Seth had something in commn with her. "Just give me my clothes and I'll follow."

"Can't do that." The Private sneers, "Everything you own has been confiscated pending an official inquiry into your potential involvement with the Team Flare terrorists."

"I wasn't part of Team Flare," She snaps.

"Then why were you in their bunker, huh?" The Private's face suddenly becomes a mask of anger and pain, "Do you realize how many your boss killed yesterday? The entire Kalos region might just be fucking GONE because of your kind!"

"Enough, Ryan." Seth stepped between them yet again, "The investigation isn't being done under your authority." He softens his voice, "We've all lost something, but we can't just lash out without discrimination. We have to figure out how to properly respond."

The Private just shakes his head and storms out. Thoroughly unprofessional, Seth thinks to himself, but perhaps it's warranted. Kalos might be gone, after all. He feels his stomach drop, thinking about his parents, his friends. About Eve. They could all be dead. He shakes his head, drowning the thoughts, and strips off his jacket. He holds it out to Serena, who grabs it hesitantly.

"Wear this." Seth says, as kindly as he could muster, "The military really did confiscate your clothes, but this should help."

"Thanks," She mumbles, pulling it on. The jacket, already big on Seth, reaches down past her thighs.

Together, they follow Ryan's path outside the over sized medical tent, and he couldn't help but notice Serena flinch as she took her first look outside.

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, I upped Serena's (and Calem's, though he's dead so he doesn't matter) age to around 19. I didn't want to write a dark story about a 13 year old. For future reference, note that I respond to reviews at the end of each chapter. So here we go!

AwesomelyEpical - Unfortunately, Calem is dead for good. I'm not a fan of bringing back dead characters. The way I write stories, bad things tend to happen. Hopefully you'll keep reading anyway.

TheSarcasticBastard - If you could let me know where I state it affects the entire world, that would be great. I am wedded to canon, so I keep things as close to the actual world as possible (unless it's an unrealistic mechanic of the game itself). For clarity, please let it be known that this story is focused on the aftermath in Kalos. The rest of the world was not affected by the super-weapon, except for the political and economic fallout due to the loss of a powerful country on the international scale. So... ya.


	3. The Poison Flower

Chapter 3 – The Poison Flower

"I've been in an out of tents all day, and every time I walk out under the shadow of that thing, I can't help but feel a little emptier." Serena looked up at the man who had helped her earlier – Seth, she saw printed on a convenient name-tag on the chest of his lab coat. He had been wearing a jacket over it to combat the cold, a cold which now bit at Serena's bare feet. She didn't complain, however. People have suffered worse than low temperatures.

"The Poison Flower." Serena says softly, and the scientist looks down at her, confused. "I overheard a Team Flare scientist call it that. The weapon that killed everyone."

Seth didn't respond. He merely put his arm around her shoulder leading her towards a tent near the center of the military encampment. The place seems constructed in a rush, and she couldn't help but notice the small number of people. There couldn't be more than twenty people.

As if reading her mind, Seth points at a nearby tent. "In there is the officer's tent. There's only three of them left. From what we can tell, only the people who went into the bunker to stop Lysandre are still alive. Everyone else has just… vanished."

"Vanished?"

"Well, except for their shadows." Seth shivered visibly. "You can't see them hear, but further away, towards where Geosenge town used to be, you see them everywhere. Carbon shadows."

"Carbon shadows?"

Seth's grip on her shoulder tightened as they walked towards the officer's tent. "Yeah. It's the term used for the remnants of people hit by nuclear explosions. The electromagnetic radiation hits the people and the surroundings, discoloring where it hits the ground, but leaving the area blocked by the person's body intact, since light can't pass through a human."

"But this place doesn't look like it's been hit by a nuke. We'd all be dead if we're this close." Serena questions him, examining her surroundings. Private Ryan was walking ahead of them, assault rifle in hand. A scared man with a gun is a very dangerous man indeed, she thought.

"No, the weapon wasn't a nuke. One nuke couldn't blow up all of Kalos anyway." Seth says, "I really can't say what the weapon was. We've got scientists inspecting the… flower, but we've really got no information. How exactly it killed everyone is still a mystery. The immediate area isn't irratiated either, so that combined with the lack of damage to non-human and non-pokemon entities pretty much rules out nuclear weapons out. We also don't know why the bunker was spared, so we've got scientists down there as well."

"And Lysandre?"

"Gone." Seth sighs, "After everything, the bastard got away. Team Flare as well. The last day has been nothing but confusion and failure, honestly. The military has no idea what to do, we've got no contact with Central Command, and we've got a very good feeling that Kalos is now empty of people."

Serena couldn't bring herself to respond. Her mother, her friends, Calem. Everyone was gone, but she was still here. What was the point? Why did she have to live?

"I'm sorry for your loss." She hears Seth say awkwardly. "The other guy. He was your friend, right?"

"Yeah."

"Doctors said he died pretty much instantly from the head wound. He didn't suffer." Serena hears the words, but they felt hollow to her. What did it matter if Calem's death was clean or not? He died all the same. "So at least there's that."

"But what else is there?" Serena says, looking up at the entrance to the officer's tent.

o

"Here she is." Private Ryan gestures at the girl, who seemed so small in the medical gown dwarfed by Seth's jacket. Seth feels himself tense up, looking at the serious faces glaring at her. Only one – the Professor – is sympathetic. Seth also can't help but note the lack of formality in Ryan's voice. The military's rigid structure seems to crack a little more every hour.

Seth lightly guided Serena to the center of the tent, where the military minds could survey her with evermore scrutiny. Not wishing to find himself caught within their gaze, Seth shrinks back to Sycamore's side.

"I take it you're the one who argued I go with Ryan?" Seth whispers, and the Professor nods.

"The military is scared. I was worried a soldier would hurt her if he went alone." Sycamore's voice was barely audible.

"He tried." Seth replies, and Sycamore winces.

"If you two are done whispering," The highest military official present, Commandant Brent, shot at them, "I'd like to get this council underway."

"Of course, sir." Sycamore says back, lightning quick.

"Serena," The Commandant starts, "For the sake of clarity on your part, understand that you are accused of being a member of Team Flare and a key reason the Weapon was fired. Also understand that this is as official of a military trial that we believe the country of Kalos is now capable of, considering the power and nature of the Weapon.

"But know what despite the trial, our true purpose here is that of clarity. Despite what my junior officers may think, prosecuting you is not the goal. Rather, we seek to understand what exactly happened in the bunker and in Lysandre's lab, as well as obtaining proper recourse.

"As the highest authority present in what we believe is left of the country, I hereby lead the investigation. We will start with what we know." The Commandant nods at one of the military medics across the tent, a man Seth recognizes as Dr. Julius, and the Doctor begins to speak.

"Radiation sensors picked up an extremely large peak of radioactive material shortly before the Weapon fired," The Doctor began, "But, remarkably, it seems to have dissipated. We can either assume that the actions undertaken by the pokemon Yveltal either absorbed the radiation in the general area, or our machines are broken and we're currently sitting in a bath of radioactive particles. However, early medical tests seem to indicate a lack of presence of radiation exposure symptoms."

"So we're likely safe?" The Commandant asks.

"For the moment, it would seem so."

"And what about the girl? What is her condition? She was closest to the blast site out of everyone here."

"Aside from her gunshot wound, she's healthy." The doctor paused for a long moment, biting his lip. "Though it is also my professional recommendation that someone feeds her, and possibly assign a military psychologist to monitor her mental well-being."

"The psychologist is dead." The Commandant stated bluntly, "He did not join the rest of use soldiers when we stormed the bunker, and therefore was caught in the blast radius of the Weapon."

"I see." The doctor backed down, and Seth noticed Serena shiver. Her gaze was burning holes in the ground, it seemed. She hadn't so much as acknowledged the trial unfolding around her.

"And the boy who accompanied her? I was under the impression the two of them are the only people we were able to recover from the bunker." The Commandant was staring at her, but Seth couldn't read his expression. Sympathy? Anger? Fear? Nothing in his expression gave it away.

"Dead before we could begin treatment." The doctor stated. Almost immediately, Serena gasped, and Seth saw her clench her jaw, widening her mouth to stop herself from crying. It wasn't working, and tears were beginning to form. "Fatal ballistic trauma." He paused, looking at Serena. "I'm sorry."

The Commandant seems unshaken as he continues. "Very well. We'll start with the investigation into the girl's involvement into Team Flare." He closed his eyes for a while, pausing. "And hopefully we'll uncover some way to respond to our new… situation."

* * *

**Author's Note: **In the past, I usually uploaded chapters that were around 4000-5000 words in length. This time, however, I've decided that since I don't want to spend a week working on each chapter, I'm gonna write the story in smaller ~1000 word pieces. Hopefully this will allow for more frequent and more dedicated updates. Also, please excuse the errors which are undoubtedly in the story. I am a terrible proofreader. Now for review responses!

ChiiRyeeBiee - Most of my chapters will probably end on cliffhangers. It's just the style in which I write. Also, you'll be able to see more of Calem in the form of memories or flashbacks and whatnot. He won't just be dropped off in the beginning, undeveloped. I appreciate the two reviews. :P


	4. The Investigation

Chapter 4 – The Investigation

Commandant Brent peers at Serena, who now keeps her gaze level. For a long moment, they stare impassively at each other, as if they were waiting for the other to strike first. Without any indication of a silent submission, Brent ends the staring contest. He speaks.

"Personally, it does not matter to me if you were a member of Team Flare or not." Commandant Brent shrugs. "It is irrelevant to our current situation. Team Flare has succeeded. Their Weapon has fired. All that matters now is he possible information you have to offer us, and how this could improve our admittedly problematic scenario."

"'Admittedly problematic scenario'." Sycamore whispers to Seth, taking great care not to be too obvious, "It's quite a nice way of saying we're royally fucked."

"Serena's toast if they decide she was part of Team Flare." Seth whispers back. "Brent will stick her into solitary confinement, and you know how soldiers are with enemy female prisoners. She won't last the night."

"You have a bleak view of soldiers." Sycamore responds.

"I have a bleak view of people."

Seth turns back to the trial. Sycamore and he were not the only ones whispering. Many of the other senior officials were talking amongst themselves, while Brent was proceeding slowly. Seth knew this had to be handled carefully. Any misstep, and the entire encampment could go nuts. It was only a small group now – about twenty people – and they wanted blood. Confused, hurt, out-of-touch with the rest of the world. Rampant uncertainty. If Serena was shown to be guilty, it would temporarily pacify the men by giving them an outlet for their rage. Sure, Serena would likely not survive, but Seth knew Commandant Brent was nothing if not calculating. Extraordinary circumstances required extraordinary actions.

On the other hand, if Serena was vindicated, how would the soldiers react? Likely it would fuel the already heavy underlying unrest. Who knows when the panic would boil over. In a day? A week? A month? Serena was most useful as a dead scapegoat.

"Before we begin, does it make a difference if I say this is a fucking sham?" Serena growls at the Commandant, and the room falls silent. Seth congratulates the girl in his head. She knows what she's up against. "The only reason you say it doesn't matter whether I'm in Team Flare or not is because none of you fucking care."

"I will remind you that this is a military trial. Speaking out of turn is not a wise choice." Commandant Brent says quietly. "Though our formal structure may be expedited, I will not tolerate disorder. You will be silent until it is your turn to speak. Will you be comply?"

Serena stared for a long while before nodding.

"Very well." Brent shifted in his seat, leaning back a bit as if easing some weight. "We'll start with eyewitness accounts."

o

Serena scans the room repeatedly, making sure she remembers every face. The sympathetic ones, the indifferent ones, the angered ones. Even a few with odd looks on their faces, as if savoring a meal for later. Those were the ones who would try to find her alone in a prison cell. She couldn't let that happen.

But what could she possibly do to prevent it? The military took everything she owned. Taking her pokemon was especially smart of them, both useful as leverage and limiting her power and mobility. But beyond them, she didn't even have her own clothes. She could feel with every breeze rolling through the tent flap her own nakedness under the jacket and gown, and this left her more vulnerable than any of her other restrictions.

The first eyewitness account was the Private who tried to drag her our of beg earlier: Private Ryan. "Typical name." Serena says under her breath, careful not to be overheard.

"So what did you see?" The commandant asks.

"Well, the kids were right ahead of us to get to Team Flare, right?" Ryan starts, "So I started thinking. Ain't it suspicious that they get into the elevator and don't wait for us? Why'd they just keep on going down?"

Maybe because we were pressed for time. Serena thinks to herself. Maybe because the entire region was in danger? She wanted to speak, but she couldn't.

"So it looked to me like they're stalling for time." Private Ryan said. "Because they're in cahoots with Lysandre and Team Flare. They had to be!"

Private Ryan was quickly led away after his short, admittedly unremarkable anecdote and opinion-laced witnessing. Serena just rolled her eyes at it. The next witness was brought up – a nameless soldier Serena knew nothing about. He wasn't much different. Same asshole opinion. Different mouth.

And so it continued for three or four more people. Serena didn't bother keeping tracking, instead playing with a rock by her foot. She didn't stand a chance regardless, and she wasn't allowed to speak for herself. Wasn't the rest of this just oral circle-jerking before the inevitable guilty sentence?

"Isn't there something wrong here?" Sycamore speaks up, interrupting the last witness – one of the field medics who treated Serena. "Anecdotes and hearsay? 'Eyewitnesses'? Everyone here knows this oversteps the bounds of necessary improvisation for the circumstances. Why exactly is it that nobody has mentioned the fact that we know nothing of events in the bunker prior to blowing up the door and charging in. Sure, Lysandre let them in without a struggled and kept us out. But that isn't an indicator of their allegiance." Sycamore paused, catching his breath. Vaguely hidden anger seeped from him, leaking through his voice. "Do we have to be reminded that Calem, a young man, was brutally murdered by Lysandre moments before we breached the door? Or that Serena herself shouldn't even be forced to move about considering the gunshot wound in her shoulder?

"I say, we approach this quantitatively. Ethically. Scientifically." Sycamore walked next to Serena, speaking directly at the Commandant. "We don't have nearly enough information to make any sort of judgment, and we're preventing the one person who may well illuminate our circumstances from speaking. Instead of focusing on how we could possibly keep the soldiers pacified, we should be planning ahead. We've got an incredibly uncertain future ahead of us. We can't tear ourselves apart now."

A long pause after the end of his speech. Serena could see several military officers mulling it over, perhaps persuaded. Commandant Brent was silent, but expressionless. Eventually, he spoke.

"You're right, Sycamore." Serena felt the professor deflate with relief, releasing a breath he had held the entire break. Serena herself felt nothing. It was hard to focus. "We can't tear ourselves apart."

"So then –" Sycamore starts.

"Therefore we cannot allow any problematic factor to exist in this unit." Commandant Brent stood up from his seat, staring directly into Serena's eyes. "Serena is hereby considered guilty under my authority. She will be detained overnight for intensive interrogation and executed publicly tomorrow morning at 0800."

The room, shocked, merely stared back at him as he finished.

"Dismissed."

* * *

Author's Note: I want to mention here that I don't really view these chapters as "chapters". Rather, I see these short, 1000 word segments as being little bits and pieces of the story slowly unfolding without a categorization. I know, it's weird. Really, the "chapters" are just uploading sections. On to review responses!

FanFicCritic17 - I'm guessing at least 3-4 1000 word updates every week. Finals are soon, however, so that may drop slightly. Ideally, I want one chapter out every day, but I doubt that's gonna happen.

Neonz - Lots of people are gonna die! :D

Gues - There are two big problems with including Red into the story. One is the time period necessary. It's not clear exactly at what point X and Y take place in the span of pokemon games. How many years have passed? Another problems is that it runs the risk of Red becoming a central character by virtue of being overpowered. I dislike having super over-powered badasses rampaging about unless their antagonists. If they're antagonists, I actually enjoy that. So, if Red is included, he'll be a bad guy. As I see it, though, I can't think of a reason Red would possibly side against Serena, thus I don't see myself including him. But who knows? Maybe I'll change my mind.


	5. The Interrogation

Chapter 5 – The Interrogation

"Serena," No. Don't say it. Please. "I – "

"Calem," Serena hears herself say it again, "We can't stick around talking like this. Trevor and Tierno are missing, and Lysandre's café is the only place we know where to look." Serena knows it's rude, but at a time like this, what else could she say? "What happened between us is something we can deal with some other time."  
"It's just…" Calem starts, but stops himself, shaking his head. "You're right. We can talk about it later." He gives her a soft smile. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Serena returns the grin. "We'll have free time to just talk soon. Let's just get our friends back. Everyone will be safe, and things will go back to the way they used to be. I guarantee it."

"Shauna doesn't think so," She sees Calem gripping his fist, so tight his knuckles pale. "She pretty much just ran off back home."

"I can't blame her." Serena feels her heart ache, thinking about it. Shauna's anger, her fear. The judgment of what happened, and what had to happen. "Things have gotten really dangerous."

"I just..." Calem wanted to bring it up again, she could tell. "Are things… okay between you two?"

Serena ignores the ill feeling rising in her stomach. "Yeah, it's… fine."

"Well, I guess we should get going."

o

Burning. Water. How could she feel so empty and lifeless? Serena's vision blurred as she struggles to maintain consciousness. Above her, she sees the barrier of air and water. Bright lights shine down around her. It's dark beyond the light.

Calem.

Why couldn't she just love him back like a normal girl would?

A rough hand pulls her upwards, and Serena rejoins the land of the living as her face breaks the water. Gasping, violently her lungs reworked themselves. Air. Breath. Safety. Fear, as the peace was about to end. The hand grabs her forehead, thrusting her back under.

o

"I dunno. I've always just felt… different." Serena looks over at Shauna as the fireworks break the sky apart above them. So much splendor for just finding a missing Furfrou. "It's as if I'm not like other girls. I don't say that to be arrogant. That's really not what I mean. I'm not better or anything. I just…"

"Don't worry. I understand." Shauna replies.

"You do?"

"You mean like all that stuff with Calem?" Shauna smiled lightly back at her, "I've kinda had a feeling about you for a while."

"A feeling like what?" Serena asks. Shauna starts to respond, but stops herself, giving her a coy look.

"It's a secret!"

"You tease." Serena smirks, but Shauna suddenly seemed down. "What's up?"

"It's tough, you know? What direction do we really have in life? I could do contests, or be a trainer, or a dancer, or anything. I just don't know." Shauna let her hands out wide, then clasped the railing with all the intensity an 18-year old girl can. "I'm lost."

"No you're not!" Serena joins her, leaning over the railing of the patio with her. "And if you are, I'm just as far gone as you."

"Thanks," Shauna grins, "I just wish I was good at so many things anything like you are, Serena."

"Oh, stop it." Serena blushes, "You're just saying that."

"It's true!" Shauna says, "You're so strong. I mean, you can be quiet a lot, and you're vicious when someone makes you mad…" Serena winces, thinking back to the incident where Shauna found that out first hand. "And you're so pretty!"

"You… you think I'm pretty?" Serena asks, feeling her face grow even hotter. Shauna answers almost immediately.

"Of course!"

o

Again her head broke the surface of the water. The unfamiliar face stares down at her, looming large over her. Please, just end it, Serena pleads in her mind, but can't bring herself to say it aloud.

"All you gotta do is talk, bitch," The other one, a wiry man. Not so foreboding, but equally malicious. "And if the drownin' doesn't work, we can try other means." A sickly laugh as he runs his hand up her leg. The other soldier lets go of Serena and grabs the thin one's arm.

"We're not animals," He says simply, then turns back to his torture victim.

She knew she should have felt disgust. Anger. Hatred, even. But all she felt was the cold water soaking through her thin medical gown. They hadn't bothered to give her back her clothes before this all began. Probably didn't think they wanted her fully dressed for the waterboarding.

"Just fucking talk, girl!" The wiry one shouts, and shoves her head under.

o

"Wait, Tierno!" Serena calls out to him, and the big jolly guy turns right around, unusually nimble. "Wait up!"

"What's up, Serene?" He says, slapping her on the back. She stumbles forward, laughing. "You ready for Lumiose City?"

"I will be once you stop calling me Serene!" She jabs playfully. "I'll have to think up a nickname for you, and it won't be good!"

"I dare ya!"

"Alright. Just give me a moment." Serena grins, and thinks for a while, but eventually her brow furrows and she hangs her head, sighing. "I can't think of anything."

"So, uh, don't mean to change the subject," Tierno nervously scratches his head, "But, uh, what do you think of Calem?"

"Of Calem? I dunno." Serena ponders the question. "He seems like a decent enough guy. Smart, and quite talented as a trainer. His Chespin really likes him. And he's got a Fletching already, too. Why?"

"Well, uh," Serena stares at him trying to come up with an excuse.

"Just tell the truth," Serena says, curious. "I won't bite."

"Well, he wanted me to ask you about him." Tierno smiled, "I think he's got a soft spot for you."

Serena blinked at him a few times, thinking about what that meant.

o

Just breathe. Life didn't feel so precious anymore, though her body greedily sucked in air as she surfaced. Mind and body disconnected. Why bother struggling onward?

"Answer the fucking question!"

"He loved me!" Serena shouts suddenly, and the two torturers pause, confused. "He loved me, and I just wanted him to keep to it himself. I didn't feel the same way. I couldn't. I still can't. He should have left me be. And Shauna…"

"The fuck are you babbling about?" Another plunge downward.

o

"Trevor, it's okay." Serena tries unsuccessfully to calm the short guy down. "It's only a skirt. I can get it washed. Coffee comes out. No biggie."

"But it's so rude of me!" Trevor grabs a napkin, then extends his hand to pat the skirt dry, only to realize before getting his hand halfway there that he shouldn't do that. His arm shoots back. "Sorry. I just… I invited you out to get coffee, and I'm just making a mess of things."

"Relax, Trevor!" Serena laughs, amused by his awkwardness. It's endearing. "It's okay. What did you want me to come out for?"

"Well," Trevor finally returns to his seat, still red in the face. "It's – it's about Shauna."

Serena feels her stomach twist, and she forces the unpleasant feeling back. "Really? What about her?"

"I… uh…" Trevor pauses, then takes a deep breath. "Do you think I have a chance with her?"

"I…" Serena's eyes widen with mock surprise. She knew this was coming, and as much as she knew she wanted to keep Shauna to herself… "I guess she's friendly with you…? I'm not really the best at things like this."  
"Well, it's just that you two are always together, I thought maybe she'd mentioned me." Trevor's hopes were obvious. "I mean, whenever she's around, you two are laughing and joking around. You two have gotten really close."  
"Yeah…" Serena shifts in the seat, uncomfortable. "I suppose you're right."

"So she hasn't said anything?"

o

Serena is pulled back up suddenly, without warning. This drowning was shorter than the last ones. The heavy hands let her go, undoing the straps tying her to the board. Before she can react, she's shoved off onto the floor. Curling up, the soft dirt that lines the floor chills her. Beneath the soldier's feet she sees the opening flap and the night sky just beyond.

"What?" She rasps at them, "I'm not… I'm not fucking done yet!" She struggles to stand, but her legs can't seem to support her. She falls over, her own knees betraying her. The larger soldier just walks out. The other, the skinny one, kneels by her, placing his hand against the back of her head.

"Don't get too comfortable." He wheezed. "We've got all night."

With that, he shoves her head into the dirt and stalks away, his laugh wheezing and cackling with every step he takes.

Eventually Serena rolls over onto her back. Soldiers surrounded the tent. There was no escape. The waterboarding would resume in an hour, most likely. The thin one was right. They had all night, and the night was young.

And then tomorrow, she has to die.

* * *

Author's Note: I notice I have a lot more hits than reviews, and several people who are following haven't left any comments. Come on, people! I wanna hear your thoughts! Otherwise, I'll have no idea what I'm doing wrong or right. So let 'er rip. Tell me what you think. I respond to every review.

Guest - I see your second review is for chapter 3, so you likely didn't read the note about Red that I left in the chapter 4 Note section. Unfortunately, the risks and problems outweigh the benefits of using Red as a character, so I likely won't input him.


	6. Guilty

Chapter 6 – Guilty

Dawn leaned against the wall of the command module of the battleship, head in hands. No word since the explosion of light in the distance, over the ocean horizon. Radio signals with Kalos are dead. GPS worked, though, so the satellites hadn't been taken out. Other military ships checked in occasionally, wondering what the hell was going on. Through the windows she saw the crystal ocean stretching out far off. To the East, Kalos - the country in danger. To the South-West, her homeland and the home of the military ship she was aboard.

Why did she even leave Sinnoh? Nice cushy government job, some paperwork at a desk every few weeks, most of her days spent doing research. The cold steel of her familiar lab haunted her thoughts, ever so alluring. It'd been years since he disappeared. Chances are he was dead or didn't want to be found. Why bother?

But her gaze trails over her wedding ring, and her determination returns. She had to know the truth, no matter the cost.

"Captain!" A low ranking seaman rushes in, saluting his superior. Dawn struggled to remember what the stars and bars and stripes meant, but she just couldn't figure out the chain of command. Bearded, grizzled man meant captain. That's all she really had figured out.

"We've got confirmation!" The room dropped dead silent. All eyes and ears trained on the low ranking officer. He was too disturbed to notice, it seemed. "The Weapon was detonated."

"That explains the loss of communication with Kalos command." The captain shook his head. "This needs government acknowledgement. Someone get ahold of the god damn president. If our intel is correct, there's an entire country in danger right now."

Dawn watched as another naval soldier rushed off, likely to use the emergency line. She spins the wedding band around her finger, feeling nervous again. Slightly sick. Should've stayed home. She wasn't surprised about the Weapon – once she saw the flashes, she knew it had gone off. Now all that remained is figuring out what it destroyed. Nobody quite knew its blast radius, though the rumors suggested it was enormous.

"Excuse me, Captain," Dawn asks quietly. The grizzled man turned to her.

"Yes, Champion?"

"No need for the title." Dawn shook her head, "I need to talk with your on-board nuclear scientist immediately."

"Of course." He nodded, then shouted at another naval man, who again went running to use a communication line. Dawn smiled her thanks and followed the man out.

"My room, please." She said to the naval man as she passes him, working at the telephone. He nodded.

The trip down to her room was a breath of freash air, she supposed, or at least as much as she could afford in a time of crisis. There was no point hanging around the stifling command module, now that the Weapon had gone off. She felt her chest tighten. He's supposed to be in Kalos. That's what the tip said. If the entire country was gone… She shook the thought away, ignoring it as best she could. At least she wasn't couped up in control anymore. Military men were too uptight for her liking, and their god-awful formalities were getting the best of her patience. She hadn't been the acting champion for years, at least not since she turned her eye to research.

She waited for a while at her room before the scientist came. She invited him inside her meagre dwelling – a little over twelve feet square – and had him sit. The scientist was a squat fellow. Slow to move and act. Impulsiveness and thoughtlessness were far beyond his capabilities. He was unusually old too, a remnant of the previous regime in the nation. She had heard he'd been a big part of the space program in Hoenn before he threw his lot in with the Nationalists. Dawn felt herself cringe. The Nationalists were the reason her nation hadn't sent aid to Kalos when Team Flare showed up. There was so much that Johto, Kanto, Hoenn and Sinnoh could give in a time of need, but yet they refused.

"What can I do for you, Dawn?" He was probably the only one on board who referred to her by her first name, instead of that irrelevant title of 'Champion'. "I assume this about the confirmation."

"I had an idea." Dawn says, "What exactly did you say the leaked information said?"

"Let's see." The man furrowed his brow, thinking. "I believe it focused on the nature of existence and non-existence. What defined being. It was all very pseudo-scientific and nonsensical, but it claimed relation with the Weapon. A big part of it was waxing philosophical about mass-energy conversion and humanity's relationship with 'energy'. Very hippy-ish."

"Team Flare has a knack for New Age ideals." Dawn states.

"Had." The older scientist corrected. "If our theory about the Weapon is correct, likely they're just as gone as everyone else."

"We don't know if anything's happened." Dawn says defensively, worried. Her hand brushes over her pokeballs. At least there's comfort in her loyal companions.

Did he have his pokemon with him, wherever he was?

o

Seth runs his hands over his pokeball, the only one he had left. Alakazam rested inside, though he hadn't let him out in days. He knew he was neglecting the pokemon, but things were just too heavy right now.

He sat against one of the mysterious stones that made Geosenge Town famous and stared at the tent where Serena was being detained. Soldiers lined the outside, and through the flap in the tent – it fluttered freely in the breeze, as if the Commandant wanted the world to see the horror within – he saw Serena being tied to the board again for the second round of torture. She fought admirably, kicking and clawing at the two men, but there was no chance for her.

"Nineteen is too young for all this," Seth gritted his teeth as he saw Serena's head forced under water. "The shit that's justified in the name of peace and security." Of course, he said these things quietly. If a military man heard him…

Seth knew his situation was temporary at best, especially if he found some way to forestall Serena's execution. Tension between military and non-military was apparent, and even Sycamore, who was well-respected by both sides, couldn't possibly keep things from breaking down. Eventually, someone was going to turn a gun on someone else, and when that happens, Seth wanted to be long gone.

"It's almost like you like the pain," Seth cringed, hearing the smaller torturer speak to Serena, "How much of a naughty bitch were you before all this?"

All Seth heard Serena say in reply was a vague gurgling sound, but he could make out the familiar tone of the words "Fuck you." Her head was plunged back under, and Seth looked away. He had to do something, but what? And if he did free her, where would she go? Saving her from the torture wouldn't be enough, anyway. She needed her pokemon if she stood a chance of surviving in the unknown dangers of Kalos.

But why do you care so much, Seth? He caught himself in the middle of standing up, realizing he was about to march off to get Serena's possessions back. She's just a girl you barely know. Why help her? He mulled it over. Shouldn't self-preservation come first?

She was a cute girl in a vulnerable position. Fucking stereotypical of him to want to come to her rescue, even though his own security was a risk. Seth almost sat back down, but heard an anguished cry come from the tent, cut off as her head was sunk underneath the water again. He had to put a stop to this.

Seth pivoted, making a beeline to the make-shift equipment tent. It had been propped up next to a few of those giant stones, and a single soldier stood guard. It was somewhat away from the rest of the camp, but not nearly as far as he wanted it to be. Without hesitation, he marched up to the soldier. Predictably, the man stood in his way.

"What?" The soldier asked. He looked so weary, Seth noticed. Bags under red eyes. Probably drunk. Probably worried about his family. Probably feeling guilty about Serena's cries for help. Probably a lot of things, but it wasn't important.

"I've got permission from command to analyze Serena's possessions for evidence of terroristic activities and to check for residue from contact with the Weapon," Seth said quickly. He knew it didn't make sense – 'Weapon residue'? Laughable excuse at best.

"Do you have a writ?" The soldier asked, propping his head up on the barrel of his gun as he sat on a box.

"The fuck? Do you think we're all following standard procedures right now?" Seth growled, "We don't really have time to write up a fucking writ of permission."

"Jesus, dude," The soldier, scowling, looked at him. He was so young, but so worn out. "Fine, get her shit. Get me some earplugs while you're at it. I don't really want to hear what's happening to her."

Seth went inside without another word. Serena's clothes and pokeballs were in a neat pile near the back. He wrapped everything up in her black t-shirt, grabbed some firing range earplugs while he was at it and walked right back out. Seemed almost too simple to steal what he needed. He tossed the earplugs at the soldier, who stared at them for a while.

"Knowing Drew," the soldier was referring to the skinnier of the two torturers, "The waterboarding isn't going to be enough for him. I don't know what's worse. Listening to the sound of a girl getting tortured, or blocking it out. What do you think?"

"How the fuck should I know?" Seth said, and rushed off.

He didn't have much time.

* * *

Author's Note: I remember from somewhere Hoenn, Sinnoh, Kanto and Johto were all part of a single country in the pokemon universe, so that' what I'm going with here. Hence, the separate military Dawn is a part of.

Neonz - I remember reading somewhere a long time ago that drowning sometimes produces dissociative feelings in the victims. Plus, waterboarding is convenient to use in the story, considering that in real life, it's legal for the US Government to waterboard terrorists. And yeah, Shauna's dialogue surprised me quite a bit when I first played through the game (as a guy). By the way, I like to take after the mindset that nobody is immune to death. Everyone is fair game. Even main characters. After all, they can be replaced.

Eeveeleah - I'm glad. That means I'm doing a good job.


	7. Shadows on the Wall

Chapter 7 – Shadows on the Wall

"You don't get it, Dawn." Lucas's Alakazam disappeared back into its pokeball. Dawn stared in shock at her own defeated pokemon, recovering in their balls. He had defeated her soundly and fairly, but the viciousness in which he had done so… "I'm done with this."

"You can't just run away!" Dawn shouted, fear gnawing at her heart. So many months now he had been restless. Always away at night, writing madly in the dark or sitting alone in the living room, staring as the lights in the distant city dwindled. "What about starting a family?"

"What if I don't want one?" Lucas shook his head. He grabbed a pokeball, the one containing his Pidgeot.

"Don't you leave!"

"What, are you gonna stop me?" Lucas smirked. "Champion?"

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Dawn felt the tears come, just as they had so many times before. "I don't know why you're like this!"

Lucas just stared.

"An affair? Am I suddenly not good enough?" Dawn shouted, "Or is it money? Your responsibilities? Talk to me!"

"It's all empty!" Lucas's body posture changed from laid-back to aggressive, stomping over to her. "People, our society, our government. We're so consumed by this ridiculous worship of consumption that we can't see past our own noses! Spied on by our government, at the whim of corporate power. We are encouraged to hate our fellow man, to constantly be on the look out lest they hurt us! Unions have been crushed. The neoliberal man rises. Political struggles have less to do with people and more to do with power dynamics between multi-national companies. I cannot exist in Sinnoh any longer. The sooner I wash my hands of it, the better."

"Then take me with you." Dawn pleaded, "If you just want to run away, I can go with. We can find somewhere, some country in the ass end of nowhere that doesn't have these problems."

"I – " He paused, a mixture of emotion crossing his face. Just a hint of sadness, of the despair that lurked under the anger, of the constant fight against the emptiness within. Dawn knew his pain, she'd seen the country descend into its current state. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I intend to fight." Lucas said, his glare returning, an evil look in his eye. "And when I'm done, I hope there's nothing left of this fucking country."

o

Dawn jerked awake, her heart pounding. She seized the front of her chest, sweating madly. Her eyes scanned her small room before settling on the clock. 2:08. She'd been asleep barely two hours since the other professor left, since confirmation came in that Lysandre's weapon had indeed been fired. Well, what did she expect? The same nightmare returned to her every night these days. There was no avoiding it.

"Lucas?" Dawn lay back in her bed. It was tough. Military-grade, even though the room was meant for non-military guests. At least she didn't have to sleep in a tiny bunk with the rest of the men. "Where are you right now?"

She'd had no information on his whereabouts for nearly three years now. Three years of being alone. She'd tried moving on, finding another person, but it was impossible. Her life had supposed to be planned out. Champion of Sinnoh married to a research professor and soon-to-be gym leader living out their days quiet and out of the way. It had seemed so tranquil and ideal, but Dawn knew there was always that underlying issue.

Lucas had been too political. Always had been. In the heavily mediated country that Sinnoh was, one more opinion wasn't really a big deal, honestly. Everyone had a damn opinion. But one coming from the husband of the Champion? One who was known to occasionally beat her in battle? A man distinguished not only for his skill with pokemon, but for his groundbreaking research as well? That was an opinion people took seriously.

It started small. At research conferences, a word would be passed around here or there. At bars. A little slip in interviews. But it was growing. It always was. Lucas grew less patient, and his impulsiveness was bound to get them both in trouble eventually.

"What if it already had?" Dawn extended her hand outwards. There was something she hadn't told the Parliament of the Autonomous Zone of Sinnoh. The characteristics of the weapon Lysandre was rumored to be pursuing very closely matched theoretical research Lucas had been pursuing. "What have you done, Lucas?"

She rolled over. Why couldn't she have just found another man or something? Forget Lucas and start over. Make an actual life instead of always pursuing a shadow. But she never took off her wedding band. Not even for a moment. She wasn't so sure anymore if that was a good thing.

"You always were a ladies man, Lucas." She laughed to herself. "God, you've probably found a million bimbos since you left."

A long time ago, that used to bother her.

Now, she just wished that it still did.

o

Seth checked his watch. 2:10. The soldiers had just got done with the second round of waterboarding. The big one left silently again. The small one rained threats down upon the defeated girl. She didn't snap at him again. Torture had its way of beating that resistance out of people.

Serena lay crumpled on the ground to the side of the table, her stomach to the ground. Seth felt his heart twist. He had to help her. Beneath his lab coat, he clutched her possessions. There were eight soldiers surrounding the rather large tent where the torturing was taking place. Past that, the stones stretched out for miles. It would be difficult for the military to pursue them on foot, but if they took to the air…

Their best bet was escaping into the air, but Seth had no idea which of Serena's pokemon could fly, or if she even had one. And if her pokemon wouldn't listen to him… It didn't matter. Seth had to try something, or she'd be killed.

"Wish me luck…" He breathed onto the pokeball containing his Alakazam, then let it fly. He chose a ball at random that belonged to Serena's and threw it as well. "I've got one chance."

o

Pain. Darkness. Fear.

Serena wandered amongst her thoughts, unsure how much she saw was real or not. The choking and burning in her lungs, the terror and the anguish. Shauna, where was she? Why wasn't she here? Calem, Tierno, Trevor. Where are they?

"Shauna," She croaks, extending her arm to the shadow in the doorway. Commotion outside. She didn't know what. "I – "

"Sorry, Serena," She felt arms wrap around her, lifting her, "But I think it's about time I stopped running away."

* * *

Author's Note:

No new reviews. :c


	8. Escape

Chapter 8 – Escape

Seth adjusted his posture, slinging Serena over his shoulder. She was fading in and out of consciousness, so it was all up to him. He bolted from the tent, running past the soldiers lying on the ground, clutching their heads with agony. Behind him, his Alakazam fell in line, and Seth saw a faint shimmer appear around him. A shield from bullets, he knew, but it wasn't perfect. A strong enough weapon could potentially break through.

Not much time to move. He ran for the stones bordering the camp, picking a direction and sticking to it. Serena's Gengar hovered nearby, scanning for soldiers. He couldn't direct the Gengar – it wouldn't listen to him – but at least it knew that Seth was a friend. Or, at least he hoped so. Serena bobbed up and down over his shoulder, and he could feel his back and shoulders scream at the effort of carrying her. With his other hand he gripped tight the other pokeballs and Serena's clothes. No time to find a flying type.

He had the element of surprise, but the army was organized even though it had been crippled by Lysandre's weapon. Already he could hear the alarm bell and the sounds of boots, but he was long past the stones.

A blast of air above, and Seth dived to the side instinctively as a heavy form slams into the ground near him. He grunts, barely keeping his feet as he takes off around another stone – a quick glance back reveals an armored Staraptor getting its bearing. A military pokemon, its eyes dead and cold and its talons adorned with spikes.

These guys didn't fuck around.

Almost immediately, Alakazam barreled into the bird, a thin band of psychic armor adorning its skin. A wave of its hand, and the Staraptor is sent flying back, its wings broken in several places. Alakazam moves to finish it off, but Seth whistles, calling it back to him.

"Focus on getting us out of here!" Seth felt his breathing grow harder, his lungs burning more than his muscles. There had to be a way into the air. "Shit!" Nearby he saw a dark form impact the Earth, the nighttime air disturbed by its body as it slammed into the Earth. Alakazam moved to engage it, and Seth knew he had to change his plan. The military wasn't far behind – he could hear their shouts.

"Sorry Serena." He set the girl down, and let loose another random pokeball, hoping beyond hope for salvation as fear overtook him.

o

"Mother," Serena gazed up at the television, staring at the odd shape astride the Rhyhorn. A familiar face, plastered over the news. "Why are you on the telly?"

"That's an awful formal way to address your mom, kiddo." The man in the business suit and tie knelt down beside her, his rancid alcohol breath assaulting her nostrils. Serena balked, backing up and waving her hand in front of her nose.

"You stink." The man paused for a moment before laughing, a great belly laugh as he stood. Serena gazed up at him, briefly reminded of father. But that was silly.

"Serena, there's no need to be rude to Mr. Baldwin." Serena heard mother call from the living room. "He's a very important man, you know." Serena didn't respond. She ran for her mother, latching on to her legs.

"Quite an interesting kid you've got there."

"Isn't she adorable?" Serena felt herself be lifted as her mother placed her on her leg. Beneath her, the mother's leg started bouncing. Up and down. "Looks just like her Dad."

Serena wasn't listening. She stared at the wall, at a tribal pattern in a picture frame. Triangles and squares and circles danced around one another with no rhyme or reason, and no matter how she looked at it, she never could figure out what was right-side up or not with it. Up and down, she bounced.

"Shame what happened to him." The man with the rancid breath said.

o

Serena cracked open her eyes as she lifted suddenly, then fell just as abruptly. Her stomach slammed into flesh and bone, and she was flung away onto the ground.

"Shit!" She heard someone call. Serena coughed, rolling onto her hands and knees. Looking up, she saw dark shapes fly all around her. A forest of tall stones surrounded her. A familiar face, looking desperate, ran to her. "You're awake? Get up!"

Seth pulled her to her feet and he takes off running, dragging her behind him. To the side, a scarred and weary Alakazam stood guard, warily waving its hands at the shapes clawing in the dark. Blades and claws, steel and blood. Her nostrils filled with the stench of hurt and pain.

Serena tore her gaze away from the unknown horror behind her. Confusion. Where was she? How did she get here? Was this just another dream?

Ahead of her, Seth stumbled, pulling Serena down with him. She fell into a nearby stone, cracking her jaw on it. She rolled to the ground, checking her jaw briefly. Hurt badly, but not broken. Not enough time to adjust it, or to feel much at all. Seth is already pulling her up again. Serena rushed to her feet, and they run again. The pain was real enough, she supposed.

"Do you have a flying type?" The words are garbled. Serena merely stared ahead at him, before realizing she had to respond.

"What?"

"A flying type, god damn it!" Seth shouted. Shouts and calls behind them. The army, Serena guessed. They weren't far behind. Why weren't they shooting at them yet? "Do you have one?"

"Aerodactyl! Use him!" She called back.

"Which fucking one is he!?"

Serena reached out, snatching a ball from under his arm. She tossed it into the air, fear clawing at her. Behind her she hears her Gengar burst from the shadows, lunging for her.

But it's too late.

Serena saw the dark figure of a military man too late. He raised the gun and fired.

"Serena!" Seth shouted, but she doesn't hear him. The impact resonated through her chest, ringing out a dark hymn as she's flung backwards into the darkness.

She doesn't feel herself land.

o

"Shauna," Serena called meekly. Shauna turned, a bright smile on her face. Behind her, the sun was setting, the sky reflecting shades of dark purple amongst the red and gold.

"What's up?"

"I… uh…" Serena hesitates. _I love you. I need you._ Why was it so hard to say such simple things? "I forgot." Serena knew she was giving up – and not for the first time, either, she noted – but she just couldn't. God, even if she could say it, what if Shauna didn't feel the same way? It could ruin everything!

"Serena?" Shauna laid a hand on her face, looking at her curiously. "You zone out a lot. Something bugging you?"

"Just…" Serena smiled, incredibly self-conscious with the girl of her dreams so close, "I was just thinking about our conversation at the Palace a while ago. About us being lost. I know it's been a while. We've gotten a lot stronger and acquired quite a few gym badges, but I guess I wanted a follow-up. Are you still lost?"

"Probably more than ever." Shauna grinned, "But I guess it's kinda okay."

"Really?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Shauna let go of her face, spinning around to face the dying sky. "I get to travel around the country, free as a bird, with no rules or regulations holding me down. Nobody to tie me to one place. I get to camp out under the stars, brave harsh storms and experience hardship and wonder daily. And I get to do it all with a beautiful girl, too!"

"You're too kind." Serena blushed, looking away. "All I do is worry. If anything, I tie you down."

"You keep me grounded," Shauna waved away Serena's rebuttal, "I would've done a lot more crazy stuff on this adventure if you hadn't been around to tell me no every once in a while."

"More than once in a while." Serena smiled back.

"Yeah, probably about once a second," Shauna teased, but sobered her speech quickly. "And, uh, there's been something I've been wanting to say for a while now."

"Me too," Serena said quickly, seizing her chance. "I've been wanting to say forever that I –"

"Shauna! Serena!" A familiar voice called out, and Serena turned, cursing to herself as Calem came charging down the hill towards them. Private conversation ruined. Serena gripped her knuckles tight with frustration.

"Oh, screw it." Shauna said, proceeding to pull Serena back to her. Shauna leaned forwards, kissing Serena, her arms snaking around to her back and pulling them together. Serena's mind went blank for just a moment, before snapping back to reality. She edged her way out of the kiss, smiling at Shauna gratefully.

"Well, I guess I've got crappy timing." Calem said as he ran up. Serena winced inwardly as she saw his pained expression. As always, he struggled to cover it with a smile. "You two gonna get a room?"

"Sorry," Shauna laughed awkwardly, lacing her fingers through Serena's. "I just couldn't wait any longer."

"Well, uh, congratulations?" Calem laughed. "Never thought it would be you two getting together. Next it's gonna be Trevor and Tierno hooking up!"

"You think they would?" Shauna gasped. "Really?"

"No… I… uh…" Calem scratched his head. "At least I don't think so. Anyway, I should get back to the other guys. Sorry for interrupting."

"No biggie." Shauna smiled. Calem waved and took off running the same way he came. After a while, Shauna turned to Serena, a confused expression on her face. "I wonder what he came down here for."

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry about the delay, but hey, that's college. Finals are a bitch - especially when you're a mathematics major. Here's the review responses!

LakticPrisma - Death is never a trivial issue. I try to make sure that message comes through in my writing. Note that Seth and his Alakazam are not big badasses running around killing soldiers. In his escape with Serena, he only incapacitated the army dudes. So, even though you dislike Calem's death, hopefully you'll come to appreciate the way I went about it.

Guest - I've been kinda debating back and forth about making it M or not. Considering that I don't have lots of gore or sex in this (so far), I think T suits it for now.

Raven - Here you go. :P

Crazybird101 - You mean it should've been Serena? Or... Calem is the one who gets tortured? But that would mean Serena should have died. If you like Serena, why would you want her to die? D: As for Lysandre, well, you'll have to find out! :D I know it's left intentionally vague, but it's like that as part of my master plan for this story.


	9. Flight

Chapter 9 – Flight

Sharp pain in her shoulder as she's lifted. Chaos. A pandemonium surrounds her, the sound of the night tearing into her mercilessly. Her eyes open, she fared no better. Darkness obscured all, hiding her behind a veil of denial. Familiar red eyes on the dark.

This was her punishment. To be tortured, to dance at the brink of death only to teeter over at the last second. Losing just as victory was in reach. Calem must have felt that way.

She felt her head roll to the side, and the massive stones bored down upon her, their mighty visage judging her mercilessly. There they sat in judgment of her inability to save the one who was always left behind.

"I tried," Serena whimpers, too weak to support her arms. They fall, dangling below her as the ground seemed to recede. More shouts. A whistle by her ear. Roaring, a familiar call of pain. Strong arms wrap around her, pulling her.

"Shauna…?" She begged, but she knows it can't be her.

"I got you," Someone called, and they're into the air.

o

Dawn swung her legs over the side of the bed, but halted. Silently she checked the stretch marks on her upper left thigh, barely visible in the light from her smartphone. She'd gained a few pounds since her days of running about Sinnoh, challenging everyone she met to a battle. That much was obvious. She fell back onto the bed, feeling her nightshirt rise up over her stomach as she hit the mattress. Dawn ran a hand down her stomach.

"At least I'm not fat yet." She rolled to the side, "Like it even matters."

The wall directly before her wasn't too interesting, but Dawn stared anyway, digging into it mentally as much as she could before sighing at her futility. The ability to change the world around her forever escape her grasp. She'd become the most powerful trainer in Sinnoh, miraculously stopped a madman from awakening an intriguing, but highly dangerous legendary, and even completed a regional pokedex, which went a long way towards securing scientific research on pokemon for a few years. But she was powerless all the same.

She let the weight of her legs and the odd positioning of her body slowly drag her off the bed, taking the sheets with her. Too much effort to adjust herself. Greeted by the cold steel of the floor, she rolled over. Better lying haphazardly on the ground of some foreign place than trying to sleep.

The S.A. Zephyr ship had been out to sea for a few weeks now, miles off the western coast of Kalos. Lysandre's cult had attracted international attention after an incredibly high profile kidnapping of one of Sinnoh's visiting Parliament members. Several groups of soldiers had been sent to the mainland, with the Zephyr doing distant surveillance and maintaining constant contact with a Sinnoh satellite.

"Wonderful service on this thing," Dawn muttered, noting the lack of dust on any surface in her room. The floor provided a remarkably good view of things. She lifted up her bare legs, then slammed them onto the bed and laid her head back, staring at the door directly in front of her. Briefly she wondered if anyone would be barging into her room that night too – they made a habit of it early in the trip when they were getting constant news updates. The soldiers had gotten nice full-view images of her in her pajama shirt and panties that first night when they slammed the door open just as she was getting into bed. She always suspected that they never knocked because they enjoyed catching her half-nude. Fucking soldiers.

"New-Age pseudo-scientists," Dawn yawned, "Did Team Flare seek to defeat death, or to transcend it? Nonsense either way. If they had activated that weapon, and it absorbed the life of every human and pokemon in Kalos, there'll be massive consequences." She paused, reflecting on the selfishness of the action, assuming her theoretical model held, of course. There was no way of yet knowing if Kalos had been affected or if the weapon worked at all. All they could do was wait.

"And not sleep," She sighed.

But struggle as she might, there was no escaping it, that primal fear building inside. Lucas was in Kalos. Kalos wasn't responding to messages from the military. The battleship was likely getting orders soon to get to port and investigate, just to make sure. Airplanes were already on the way.

The world was holding its breath.

o

Around them the air beat its way past, viciously dancing about as Seth felt himself rise and fall gently. In front of her, curled up, was Serena, secured in place by his arm, kept wrapped around her, running from hip to shoulder to keep her in place. He was barely able to see from the air rushing about them. Below the fields of stone below them were finally ending, the land returning to normalcy. To his left and right, Aerodactyl's powerful wings cut through the night sky.

The army had tried to pursue them through the air, but Serena's Aerodactyl was able to outmaneuver them, sending all of the pokemon back to their trainers. Thankfully, it had experience fighting in the air. But the relief from pursuit was only temporary. They'd be back to pursuing them soon.

Hopefully, by then Serena would be well enough to move. She'd taken a shot directly in the stomach by some sort of stun weapon, knocking her out cold. Somehow, he'd managed to get them into the air, pulling Serena along with him.

So now he was flying blindly in the dark, an unconscious young woman in his arms and with no destination in mind. He readjusted his arm, pulling Serena more upright against him. Ridiculous position aside, Seth knew they were in trouble. They needed food, water and a game plan. He had no means to navigate to any nearby towns to possibly steal from the expected ghost houses now dominating them. But once morning rose and Serena awoke, likely Aerodactyl could find his way to a safer area.

He adjusted Serena again, setting her jaw on her shoulder as he wearily kept his eyes open. His cheek brushed hers, soft and warm. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the bandaging from Lysandre shooting her in the arm. Seth winced, realizing Serena had hardly used the arm at all since escaping.

Shot, tortured and stunned all in one day. It was miracle she was keeping together. Seth gripped her tighter, suddenly feeling protective. Of course, she might not be keeping together at all. It'd been panic after panic since the military tribunal sentenced her to death. Why was he going out of his way to help this girl, anyway? He could have quietly slipped away with Alakazam and left the girl to her fate. He was less likely to get shot that way.

"Because you're cute?" Seth mumbled to himself. "Is that why I'm risking my ass?"

"I'd… hope not." Seth recoiled as Serena stirred. He leaned away from her on the Aerodactyl's back, letting his arm go from around her chest. She turned to him, squinting her eyes.

"How you doing?"

"We're… in the air?" She said, looking around.

"Yeah. We're safe for now."

"Safe is tricky to define." Serena shivered, wrapping her arms round her shoulders. Seth just then noticed she was still in the medical gown, just a thin layer of paper-like material. He pulled off his jacket, wrapping it around herself. She nodded gratefully. "Are my pokemon okay?"

"Yeah," Seth ran his hands over the balls attached to his belt. "I got Gengar in his ball before we took to the air. They're all here. I got your clothes, too." He patted the bundle of fabric he'd stuck between himself and the girl. "We've got to figure out where we're going. I might be mistaken, but I think we're heading in the general direction of Camphrier Town."

Her eyes lit up at that. "Camphrier Town? Do you think we can make a stop just a bit before then?"

"Where?"

"Parfum Palace." Serena turned back to look ahead, her pretty face marred by its cold, stern visage. "I'm sure we can find supplies, and I guess I just gotta see the place again."

"Alright." Seth smiled at her, but she didn't smile back. "Parfum Palace it is."

* * *

Author's Note:

Neonz - Well, as you can see, she is alive. Maybe not for very long, but she's still kicking right now. And yeah, poor Calem. :c Little did he know the girl of his dreams is more interested in chicks.

FanFicCritic17 - Thank you. :P I'm glad I'm doing my job correctly, then.

Crazybird101 - So you'd prefer she got kidnapped into a crazy cult? I bet Team Flare would torture her even more than the military. :P Although they'd probably have her wear something more fashionable than a medical gown while they twisted her fingernails off. And I'm glad you put in that bit about the military just doing their jobs. Not all of them are pieces of shit, and even the military commandant was only trying to keep his army together. I mean, imagine what it would be like to be the only ones left in your country. Oh, yeah, and you've got tons of guns and high-powered pokemon and law doesn't exist anymore.

LakticPrisma - Yup! Serena plays for the other team. Hence all the heartbreak with Calem. :c


	10. Breathing Room

Chapter 10 – Breathing Room

It was sunrise when Aerodactyl finally landed. The long night at last had ended. Seth climbed off the powerful rock type – unusually large for its species, at least enough so to carry both he and the girl. Though they'd flown for several hours, she'd said only a few words here and there. Not too much of a chatterbox, which was unusual for a girl her age. She'd quickly changed into her actual clothes behind one of the many nearby trees – jeans and a white t-shirt and jacket. Not much of a fashionista, apparently.

"Parfum Palace," Seth was stretching when she got back, enjoying his new freedom of movement. "What's here that's so important anyway?"

Serena didn't answer. She returned the Aerodactyl to its ball, shot him a glare and took off towards the palace almost immediately. Seth jogged after her, intent at least to keep a one-sided conversation going.

"Magnificent place, though a bit eery." All around them, the grounds and woods were silent. The gate creaked, sad and alone in its slight movement. Not even tree leaves rustled. "Don't think I ever met the sleazy bastard who owned the place, though. You stop by here before?" He glanced down towards her. She silently marched on, so he kept going. "I have. Quite a while ago. Probably close when I first came to Kalos a few years back. Met a cute girl too, now that I think about it. What was her name…"

He feigned thinking about it. Eve. He would never forget that name, not when it was attached to someone so attractive.

"Eve!" He feigned enlightenment as he 'recalled' the name. "Of course. Long brunette hair, tan skin. Brilliant blue eyes. Nice legs too. She was a marketer that worked under the owner of this place. In charge of tourism and public relations, which explained her friendliness right off the bat." Seth chuckled.

"She does sound… nice." Serena mumbled, and Seth smiled at the fact that she was joining in the conversation. "Kinda reminds me of a friend of mine."

"Oh?" Seth cocked an eyebrow. "What was her name? Maybe we're thinking about the same person."

"Shauna, so no, we aren't." Her eyes watered briefly, but it was quickly blinked away, fast enough that he wondered if he was just seeing things. They passed the creaking gate, gently pushing it out of the way to get at the palace behind it.

"That's too bad." Seth grinned, "It's a big world after all, despite what they say." She didn't say anything back, so he continued. "Anyway, nothing wound up going down between Eve and I, to my infinite regret. Alakazam didn't really like her, so it was a doomed friendship to begin with."

Serena stopped, glaring at him. "I'm not interested in talking to you, if you haven't noticed."

"But I'm very interested in talking to you." He said immediately.

"Look, it… it's not personal." Serena bit her lip, looking away. "But I can't just have a fucking conversation with you right now, you know? I've still got… everything on my mind." Seth held back from commenting. "Just help me look for food or something."

"Alright."

"Sorry," Serena mumbled. Seth just smiled, feeling guilty.

He fell back behind her as they approached the palace, and he felt his ears flush red. I'm an idiot. Now wasn't the time to be making conversation. Kalos had been wiped out less than a day ago, and here he was, trying to chat up one of the survivors? And not just any, but a girl who just watched a friend get murdered and then got tortured for several hours?

"I should think these things through more." Seth scratched his head. He watched her pass through the front door, and she leaned back as she held the massive doors open, staring at him while she waited.

Something about her made him stop for a moment. Her eyes had this haunted look, shallow and empty. She favored her shoulder, taking care not to disturb her wound – they'd have to re-bandage it later, even though the wound had been tended to by fairy-type healer pokemon. No bandage was invincible. She stared at him with a mixture of fear and resignation, further highlighted by the wiry, scraggly shape her hair had taken on from the events of the night prior. He stopped in front of her at the door and pulled her into a deep hug, holding her head against his shoulder. For a moment she struggled, but gave up quickly.

Exhausted, afraid, in pain, but not alone, Serena let the tears come, and she cried in his arms for a long while.

o

"So tell me a bit about yourself." Seth lurched his arm back, and the egg slid up the curved edge of the frying pan. A perfect arc, and it landed softly and quite exactly upside down. "I've never spent a good hour cradling a crying girl before despite knowing virtually nothing about her. Where you from?"

"Kanto, originally." She tore into the eggs he'd made just a few moments ago like she hadn't eaten in years. She sniffed in between bites, still wiping away the occasional wayward tear, but was thoroughly engaged by her meal as she leaned over a nearby empty prep table. "Moved to Vaniville Town about a year or so ago, just a bit before I got hired by Sycamore and started challenging gyms. Mom got a new agent or something. Wanted her to build more of an image in Kalos for the races and whatnot."

"Races?" Flip. The egg was done. Quickly, he shifted it onto a nearby plate and cracked another one open. The palace kitchen was, unsurprisingly, filled with food. Mostly fresh, too, though with the lack of power, much of it would go bad soon. The kitchen itself was full-sized, meant for preparing feasts. Felt almost lonely just to use one little burner.

"Yeah. Mom raced pokemon. Rhyhorn especially." She tore into the toast next, demolishing it quickly. "Growing up, we always had people coming and going in the house trying to work out advertisement deals or get her to sign some deal or organize some event. I got sick of it all, and I think she did too."

"Why not go to college?" Seth asked.

"Of course the scientist would say that." Serena replied, awfully sassy. "I've always been real good with pokemon. Figured I'd take the gym challenge and build a life outta that somehow. I didn't really have a plan when I set out."

"Nobody ever does."

"And, uh, I'm sorry about… earlier." Serena paused for a long while, "I guess I couldn't keep my composure."

"Don't worry about it."

"But really, Seth, thank you." Seth caught himself staring as she spoke to him, and he quickly glanced away. "Most people would probably be overwhelmed and exhausted after everything that happened, but you're holding together quite well. I'm sorry I was so quiet earlier. I guess I really needed to just let it all out."

"Honestly, I'm surprised you're doing as well as you are." Seth shook the frying pan, dislodging the bubbling egg and letting it slip around the pan. "If I were you, I'd just ignore me, curl up in a corner somewhere and cry for a few days."

"You have no idea how badly I want to do that." Serena shook her head. "But it's not productive. If we're looking at the situation rationally, I'm bound to a guy who I know virtually nothing about. My survival may very well hinge on you."

"Oh?"

"Like it or not, we're stuck together." Serena resumed eating, chugging a glass of orange juice while she was at it. "And considering my extreme lack in choosing who to survive the apocalypse with," She gestures around the empty room, "I just can't be laying about crying, no matter how much I want to. The torture is over now, and while I doubt I'll be able to sleep for a few months, I've got to keep myself going."

"Strong girl," He observes, flipping the egg. It hit the pan too hard, breaking the yolk. "God damn it."

"You cook almost as good as my mom."

"That a compliment or insult?"

Serena didn't answer, and simply poured herself more orange juice. "So what's your story? Why were you with the military, and why'd you help me?"

"I… ran away from my responsibilities, you could say." A shake of the pan dislodged the yolk sticking to the bottom of the frying pan. "Before coming to Kalos, you could make the argument that I was quite the important person in one particular region. Once I was here, though, I just wound up working under Sycamore. When the government needed help dealing with Team Flare and they hired the Professor, I just wound up tagging along. As for helping you, well, I couldn't just watch you get murdered."

"You're very brave." Serena said, her voice filled with a shocking level of seriousness. "I don't know if I could have done the same thing for you, given the chance. I'm… not that great at saving lives."

"I'm sorry about your friend."

"I… He isn't the only one I've lost." Serena's eyes filled with tears again. "My own idiocy and naivety chased away the person I loved most, and now she's probably dead. If she came with me, maybe she'd be alive now, sitting here and eating with us."

"Sorry."

"No, no, it's not your fault." Serena sniffed, but smiled at him lightly. "But I'd like to steer clear of thinking about my friends for now."

"I understand." Seth smiled through his food. "And it doesn't matter anyway. Once I'm done with this, let's find you some new bandaging for your arm. We've got some more foraging to do."

* * *

Author's Note:

Crazybird101 - Now the plot really starts getting going. Or at least I hope it will. My intentions for what I want to write don't always match up with reality.

Guest - Thank you. :P I will update soon.


	11. Trust Issues

Chapter 11 - Trust Issues

Silently, he watched her slim chest rise and fall, her breath misting the cold air around her. A soft shiver, and she curled up tighter on the regal mattress. Seth kept near the window, peering out through a slit as he watched the sky for the dark shapes of military birds. No telling if they pursued them or not. One good thing about the entire country being wiped clean of life is that he'd easily be able to tell if he was being chased.

After breakfast, the two had agreed that sleeping during the day and traveling at night was the best option to avoid being caught again. They'd travel east to Lumiose, then perhaps south to leave the country. If they had survived Yveltal's apocalypse in the Geosenge bunker, it was possible that Lysandre's Lab was immune as well. Only one way to tell.

Between stints of staring out the window, he found his eyes wandering back to Serena. She looked a little better, and her restlessness had faded while she slept, leaving her looking vulnerable. Her eternal frown was gone, her crunched-up brow softened, and her hollow expression replaced by the distinct comfort of sleep.

It had taken her a while, too. She'd made him leave the room until she fell asleep, insisting that she couldn't relax around him. Her Gengar sat in the corner of the room, eyeing Seth's every move, suspicious, and for good reason. Seth was a stranger. Who knew what he could do?

Alakazam was near the other side of the palace, watching for pursuit there. Too far away to help if Gengar suddenly decided that Seth was a threat. Even asleep, Serena had the upper hand, and Seth couldn't help but marvel at her planning. Trust was hard to come by these days. He should be treating Serena the same, but somehow he felt completely safe around her. It was inconceivable that she'd betray him, though she had little reason not to.

To Serena, Seth could be a rapist, a murderer, a con man. Anyone. And to Seth, everything she said could be a lie. Nobody yet lived to deny their stories, and any information on the other was unverifiable. He knew a few things for sure, from the time she'd been in her fever-dream following the torture. Some vision of a woman in her past, Shauna if he heard the name correctly, haunted her. Also, Calem, the boy who died, weighed on her mind terribly. Serena was a mess of guilt and pain, possibly more of a problem than she was worth. But even if he wound up regretting it, leaving her was impossible. The country was empty now, so they were stuck whether they liked it or not.

"Calem…" She murmured quietly. Shauna had been her flame, Seth knew, but something about the way she spoke the dead boy's name evoked emotion. Serena must have loved him too, in her own way.

"What do you think, Gengar?" Seth asked quietly. The thing just stared at him, smiling. Not much for communication, but from what he had seen, the pokemon was a tough son-of-a-bitch. After a moment, he turned his attention back on the blank sky. Not even the occasional bird flew past. No insects chirped in the yard. Only the trees remained. The scientist in him wanted to study the area, see how much of 'life' had disappeared from Kalos. Was it just pokemon and humans, the sentient beings? What about lower life forms? Or bacteria?

Serena stirred again. Looking over, he saw her sweating, and the Gengar was standing over her, seemingly concerned (or as concerned as the eternally-smiling pokemon could be). Murmuring, she turned over onto her back, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She shifted constantly as she whimpered.

"No," She whispered, still asleep. "Calem."

"Hey, Serena," Seth stepped towards her, extending his arm. Immediately, the Gengar jumped between Serena and he, silently eyeing him. He stopped, unwilling to challenge the pokemon. "Serena, wake up, it's just a nightmare."

"No!" She bolted upright, breathing deep, staring straight ahead. Her eyes were wild and crazed, her expression confused. Serena took a long look around, her eyes eventually stopping at Seth. "I th-" Her voice cracked; she cleared her throat and continued. "I thought I asked you to stay outside."

"Sorry, but this room has the best view of the sky." Seth shrugged. He saw Serena clutched the sheets tightly around her, her gaze hard. Withdrawn, she seemed a million miles away, staring like child would in its final resistance before being beaten. "I figured it'd be okay since Gengar was watching over you."

"I…" She begins, but stops, curling up tighter, the most resigned sight he'd ever seen. "I can't do this."

"Do what?"

"This." She waved her hands upward, indicating at the bed. "Every time I close my eyes, I see those two men standing over me, or I see Calem falling to the ground. Even laying down, I feel like the world will suddenly dip backwards and I'll fall into the water again."

"Serena…"

"It's fucking pathetic!" She shouted, then stopped herself, biting her lip. "I'm just a wreck, a damsel in distress."

"That's not-"

"Just come fucking save me already!" Serena cried out, burying her head in her hands. "I can't save myself. Not like this."

He sat there for a while, unsure what to say or do. Her long, wavy brunette hair fell across her face, framing her in suh a way that he couldn't help but feel protective. After a while, she looked up at him, her face red and puffy, but the determined look had returned.

"If we're gonna be working together, I need to know one thing." She said quietly. "Why exactly do you want to help me?" The question threw him off guard. Should he lie? Tell her what she wanted to hear? Or was the truth best? "I heard you on Aerodactyl, when you were talking to yourself about me being 'pretty'. I'm not some wispy girl who needs protection. I didn't get this far by relying on other people."

"If anything, I'd hold you back." Seth said, believing every word.

"Then why are you here?"

"I… haven't worked through my own intentions just yet." He began. "I want to keep you safe, and I don't want to believe it's just because I find you so attractive." Normally, girls would blush when he said something like that, but she just stared, intent and focused. "From what little snippets I've caught about the other girl, Shauna, I doubt you'd even be interested in me, even though you're only a few years younger than me. Plus, you've been through a lot. Shot, tortured, on the run. I imagine it's hard to get your thoughts together."

"It's not like I'm neutral towards you, Seth." She replied. "You've done a lot for me."

"Sorry," Seth smiled, "It's not appropriate for me to get attached to you so quickly. Trust me, nothing will come out of it, and it won't be an issue. We need to focus on survival anyway." He stucked his hand out. "Everything will be professional, okay?"

She slowly extended her hand, gripping his. "I guess it's as good as it gets. Sorry for the outburst."

"No worries."

* * *

Author's Note:

Crazybird101 - :c But what if it really is Serena's fault? Maybe it's all her fault?

LakticPrisma - Well, hopefully the story is good enough to keep reading anyway! :D

Neonz - As a straight male, I can't quite claim to be in the same situation as Serena here (no gay guy has ever tried to turn me, either, unfortunately. :P) Hopefully I get this right, though. I've never really written same-sex romance before, and I fear that I'm walking a thin line between being trashy and being emotional and sad. But, nothing gained if nothing lost. You'll have to deal with my possibly shitty writing. c:


	12. Blue

Chapter 12 – Blue

The sun descended, all too slowly. Seth gripped his new shirt tight – there were plenty of them scattered around the quiet, dead palace. To his side, Serena was securing a pouch to her belt. She hugged the jacket she was wearing – Seth's jacket – tight around her body, as if afraid it would evaporate at any moment. With all the crazy shit going, for all they knew, it would.

Tonight would be more than dangerous. He'd seen military birds overheard at least twice that day, though he doubted they could have been seen. Tonight they'd fly nearly blind towards the East, without a clear stopping point. They'd get as far as they could go, and work things out from there. It was only a little while before it got dark.

"You ready?" Serena asked him as she secured her last items, her pokeballs. They were within easy reach, each one colored pure black, nearly hiding them against her dark outfit. She was equipped for the outdoors – forest colored pants and boots, a black bandolier and a greenish brown beanie. All of this was covered by Seth's snow white jacket, which she had refused to remove the entire day.

"As I'll ever be." The sun was just dipping beneath the tree-line, now. "Unless you're having second thoughts."

"We could easily stay here." She ran her hands up into her hair, tying it back into a ponytail as they left the palace. "Lots of food, a nice shelter and beds. I'm sure we could fortify the place in case the military finds us." She sighed, shouldering the backpack containing their provisions – pilfered from the pantry. "But I feel like that's just running away. We need to keep moving forward."

"Exactly." Seth smiled at her, and she tried to smile back. A worthy attempt, at least. "Let's go."

She called out her Aerodactyl, which threw back its head as it was finally unleashed. Its claws tore at the ground, happy to get some fresh air. He'd heard the statis in pokeballs was pleasant enough, but nothing beat fresh air. Serena threw a collection of blankets and leather she'd found at the palace onto the pokemon to act as a makeshift saddle.

"I'll be in front to guide him," Serena secured a strap, locking everything in place. "You'll have the unenviable task of gripping onto me for support. Try not to mess up my arm. I bandaged it a bit better with some stuff at the palace, but I can tell it's still fragile."

"Normally you'd be in bed for a week before you could move around with an injury like that." Seth let his arm out for the Aerodactyl to sniff; it licked his hand. "I don't want to push you too much."

"We don't have a choice."

"Another few days here…"

"Is not an option."

"You were just talking about relaxing for a few days."

"Well," She stared at him, "We aren't going to."

Seth sighed, running his hand down his face. "Alright, alright. We'll do things your way."

o

Dawn curled up against the side of the military boat as it cut through the ocean waves, skimming the surface of the water elegantly. In the distance she saw the light of Cyllage City – a good sign, though the eery stillness of the dusk air chilled her deeply. No pokemon moved beneath the speeding craft, from what she could tell. Nothing flew overheard. The city ahead seemed unchanging, though at night she could see little detail of the coastal city regardless.

"How long until we're there?" She shouted above the roar of the engine to a nearby Army man. He turned to a man who seemed in charge of the boat, tapping his watch and gesturing to Dawn. The man in charge shouted back.

"Ten minutes!"

Ten minutes, and the truth would be revealed. Scans showed no sign of spikes in radiation. Hope mixed with dread within her. Back on the battleship, they had been unable to get into contact with the port authorities, and no ships came out to meet them. Perhaps there was some sort of internal error? Mismanagement of resources? Of course. That had to be the issue.

But that didn't explain the calm, dead air and the foreboding emptiness that screamed at her from the shore, growing ever closer. Turn back, it grabbed at her mind, you do not want to be here. Dawn stared ahead, refusing to show her fear. Unease gripped the rest of the soldiers in the boat. No sense making things worse. She was the scientist, the one the soldiers looked for to explain the unknown, and this was definitely an unknown scenario.

A blue light flashed briefly on the shore, and Dawn felt her heart skip a beat. Life? Another flash, but they were too far away for her to make out what it was. The officer in command saw in too, and was grinning widely, hope winning against fear. But what could the flash be?

"Five minutes!" A soldier called unbidden.

o

"Shit," Serena was just about to hop onto Aerodactyl when Seth padded the front part of his shirt, feeling for a pocket. "I forgot something in the palace."

"Hurry up and grab it." Serena felt a twinge of annoyance. Seth smiled apologetically and ran off. At least he was being quick about it. The sun had already fallen, so Serena was starting to get antsy about the military. Aerodactyl could outfly any Crobats the military might have in their possession, but the things were deathly quiet. If Aerodactyl picked up a sonar, Serena was gonna grab Seth and go, regardless of whatever it was that he forgot.

She sat, clutching Seth's jacket tight around her. As thin and obvious in appearance as it was, she felt safer wearing it. The smell was familiar and warm, and reminded her of Calem. She always stole his jackets during their journey together, and he never put up much of a fight.

"Maybe it's better you didn't see the world this way, Calem." Serena lay back, stretching her arms out behind her. Aerodactyl was pawing the ground – impatient? "It's too quiet without you around."

It was too quiet in general. No birds, no bugs. Only the rustling of trees, but even now they were silent. The wind had gone.

"It should have been you." A whisper on the wind. Serena turned, gasping. She bolted to her feet, looking around quickly.

"Calem?" That was his voice. She'd recognize it anywhere. "Calem, is that you?" It couldn't be. He was shot in the head. "Calem?"

"It's your fault." Another whisper, a blue light at the corner of her eye. Serena turned, and it was gone. Aerodactyl was fidgeting now, growling at something in the shadows. The whisper spoke again. "You could have stopped this."

"I… I don't…" Serena backed towards Aerodactyl, laying her hands on it. "Come out already!"  
"It burns, Serena!" Blue light to her left. She spins and it's gone again. "How could you do this to me?"

"Stop it!" Heart racing, the world around her blurring. Aerodactyl stomping the ground, roaring now.

"Did you really have to leave me?" Her mother's voice now. Serena stared straight ahead as the blue light appeared before her, a vague shape outlined within. "You could have stayed home. You could have gone to college. I didn't want to lose my only child."

"All I wanted was your affection, Serena." Calem appeared beside her mother. "Was that so much to ask?"

"I couldn't do it, Calem." Serena grabbed at Aerodactyl's leg, "I'm sorry! I couldn't do it!"

"You're the one who deserves this, Serena." Calem's light said. "Not me. You."

"You." Her mother spoke now.

"You." To their side, Tierno and Trevor.

"No, I…"

"Why us, Serena?"

"Yes, Serena," A darker voice now, more masculine and heavy. Lysandre broke through the crowd of blue light, staring down over her. "Why them?"

o

As soon as the boat touched down, Dawn jumped to the dock, ignoring the protests of the soldiers. She took off down the pier, chasing the blue light seen from the ocean. Ignoring the emptiness of the harbor around her, the blue light disappeared behind a group of supply crates on the far side of the pier. Dawn followed, rounding the corner to find… nothing.

"What the hell?" Dawn put her hand against the dead end, blocked off by more supply crates. "I was sure it went this way."

"Champion!" She heard a soldier call. Jogging back towards them, she felt the silent air and her stomach began to knot.

"Maybe everyone's just home for the night." Dawn whispered to herself. The soldiers were just climbing onto the pier now, but they were still, transfixed. "What is it?"  
"The uh… that." A soldier pointed, and Dawn followed.

Lucas, surrounded in blue light, walked towards her, a smile on his face.

"You…" Dawn felt her jaw drop. She could see right through him. "What happened to you, Lucas?"

"I prefer you don't call me that." Lucas smiled, "I've gone by Seth for a few years now."

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry about the delay, but hey, Christmas. Here's the newest chapter. I'll keep the review responses short because I really want to publish this chapter already.

Neonz - Let's just say that Seth and Serena are about to find themselves in a rather unusual situation.

Crazybird101 - Honestly, I think Seth should be more worried about Serena, then Serena should be about him.


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